Activity
  • 150 Years of Performance

    The year 1874 was 150 years ago. It’s hard to imagine a brand beginning then that is still available today. But so it is with Emerson’s Sempell brand of customized and engineered valve solutions. The company was founded as the Rheinische Maschinenfabrik in 1874 by Albert Sempell. The first valves for nuclear power plant applications in Germany were delivered in 1960. Pilot-operated safety valves came next to this industry…
  • Optimizing Combined Cycle Operations

    Emerson’s James Nyenhuis , Ranjit Rao , and Jonathan Gillam presented Consistent and Optimal Combined Cycle Operations at the 2024 Ovation Users Group Conference. Here is their presentation abstract. The increase of renewable assets on the power grid are requiring combined cycle plants to cycle and move load more frequently. This abstract will discuss the process of analyzing the operation of a unit over time using…
  • Changing Valve Automation Requirements for Sustainability

    Emerson’s Tom Mullins and Daniel Quintero presented How Will Valve Automation Change in a Sustainability and Decarbonization World at the 2024 Ovation User Group Conference. Here is their presentation abstract. Sustainability and Decarbonization (S&D) are increasingly highlighted in corporate annual reports as a desired objective. The move to drive down emissions and use lower environmental impact alternatives will…
  • Security for Cloud-Based Applications

    Emerson’s Alejandro Cruz and Nick Janouskovec presented Cloud & Security for Cloud Environments at the 2024 Ovation Users Group conference. Here is their presentation abstract. This breakout session will introduce the different cloud service offerings and discuss the basic security concepts that are essential to protecting cloud environments. We will define some of the benefits and disadvantages provided to stakeholders…
  • Turbine Control Mechanical Updates

    At the 2024 Ovation Users Conference, Emerson’s Jared Lubbert and Steve Sinka presented Mechanical Upgrades for Turbine Control Retrofits. Here is their presentation abstract. No turbine control system upgrade is complete without interfacing to the existing field devices, especially those devices that drive the turbine hydraulic or electro-hydraulic control system. This break-out session highlights several of the mechanical…
  • Turbine Control Mechanical Updates

    At the 2024 Ovation Users Conference, Emerson’s Jared Lubbert and Steve Sinka presented Mechanical Upgrades for Turbine Control Retrofits. Here is their presentation abstract. No turbine control system upgrade is complete without interfacing to the existing field devices, especially those devices that drive the turbine hydraulic or electro-hydraulic control system. This break-out session highlights several of the mechanical…
  • Generator Excitation Tips and Tricks

    Emerson’s Matt Pizarchik presented Excitation Theory and Ovation Excitation Tips and Tricks at the 2024 Ovation Users Conference. Here is his presentation abstract. Generator voltage regulators are typically supplied by the generator OEM. This presentation will provide a basic overview of how voltage regulators work no matter who the manufacturer is. Putting voltage regulator controllers on the Ovation network provides…
  • Generator Excitation Tips and Tricks

    Emerson’s Matt Pizarchik presented Excitation Theory and Ovation Excitation Tips and Tricks at the 2024 Ovation Users Conference. Here is his presentation abstract. Generator voltage regulators are typically supplied by the generator OEM. This presentation will provide a basic overview of how voltage regulators work no matter who the manufacturer is. Putting voltage regulator controllers on the Ovation network provides…
  • Ready to ROCC?

    With the rise in renewables has come a paradigm shift in the layout of power generation operations. Generators need more variability and versatility, not only to serve increasing demand, but also to hedge against increasingly severe weather and other unpredictable global events. As a result, more and more companies are expanding their portfolios, acquiring assets of many different types, often across wide geographic areas…
  • Ready to ROCC?

    With the rise in renewables has come a paradigm shift in the layout of power generation operations. Generators need more variability and versatility, not only to serve increasing demand, but also to hedge against increasingly severe weather and other unpredictable global events. As a result, more and more companies are expanding their portfolios, acquiring assets of many different types, often across wide geographic areas…
  • Looking at Ovation in a Whole New Way

    One of the exciting improvements coming in Ovation 4.0 is a significant overhaul to the human machine interface (HMI). The rise of renewables, and their integration into more and more power generation portfolios has made operations more complex than ever. Consequently, HMIs have had to evolve alongside to give operators access to their wide scope of operations without slowing them down or causing confusion via information…
  • Looking at Ovation in a Whole New Way

    One of the exciting improvements coming in Ovation 4.0 is a significant overhaul to the human machine interface (HMI). The rise of renewables, and their integration into more and more power generation portfolios has made operations more complex than ever. Consequently, HMIs have had to evolve alongside to give operators access to their wide scope of operations without slowing them down or causing confusion via information…
  • Realizing the Potential of Renewable Energy

    Renewables are a primary topic of discussion at Emerson’s 2024 Ovation Users Group conference in Pittsburgh, and in a presentation by James Fraser , Brett Benson , Ole Binderup , and Matthew Roberts , attendees could quickly see why. The group shared the many ways the energy landscape is changing, and first and foremost among them is the rise in renewables—often outpacing fossil production. Consequently, it’s not surprising…
  • Realizing the Potential of Renewable Energy

    Renewables are a primary topic of discussion at Emerson’s 2024 Ovation Users Group conference in Pittsburgh, and in a presentation by James Fraser , Brett Benson , Ole Binderup , and Matthew Roberts , attendees could quickly see why. The group shared the many ways the energy landscape is changing, and first and foremost among them is the rise in renewables—often outpacing fossil production. Consequently, it’s not surprising…
  • Diving Into Ovation Green SCADA

    We’ve talked a lot in this space about the benefits of Emerson’s Ovation Green SCADA —built-for-purpose renewable energy software that provides a top-down approach to view, monitor, control, and optimize a wide variety of renewable energy and storage assets, across a single piece of equipment or even a full fleet of assets. It can do some impressive things, but just how impressive became even more obvious in Sarah Morgan…
  • Diving Into Ovation Green SCADA

    We’ve talked a lot in this space about the benefits of Emerson’s Ovation Green SCADA —built-for-purpose renewable energy software that provides a top-down approach to view, monitor, control, and optimize a wide variety of renewable energy and storage assets, across a single piece of equipment or even a full fleet of assets. It can do some impressive things, but just how impressive became even more obvious in Sarah Morgan…
  • True Cybersecurity Relies on Quality Engineering

    One of the key highlights of Emerson’s Ovation Users’ Group is the wealth of outside perspectives users are exposed to across the week in Pittsburgh. Tuesday morning’s Cyber-Informed Engineering session was no exception. Virginia Wright , program manager for the Cyber-Informed Engineering program at Idaho National Laboratory shared her expertise with the audience, introducing what, to many, was a new concept in operational…
  • True Cybersecurity Relies on Quality Engineering

    One of the key highlights of Emerson’s Ovation Users’ Group is the wealth of outside perspectives users are exposed to across the week in Pittsburgh. Tuesday morning’s Cyber-Informed Engineering session was no exception. Virginia Wright , program manager for the Cyber-Informed Engineering program at Idaho National Laboratory shared her expertise with the audience, introducing what, to many, was a new concept in operational…
  • Liberate Data for Better Wind Power Operations

    The world has come to an interesting intersection. We need more renewable energy just as the aging wind turbine infrastructure, made up of many assets that are decades old, is beginning to underperform. However, replacing turbines is costly and regulations have changed making new installations more complex. So, power producers are looking to other options. In most cases, retrofitting the turbine control system is the…
  • Liberate Data for Better Wind Power Operations

    The world has come to an interesting intersection. We need more renewable energy just as the aging wind turbine infrastructure, made up of many assets that are decades old, is beginning to underperform. However, replacing turbines is costly and regulations have changed making new installations more complex. So, power producers are looking to other options. In most cases, retrofitting the turbine control system is the…
  • Keeping up with the Evolution of Renewables

    One of the highlights of attending the Ovation Users’ Group is getting to hear the experience of a wide variety of Emerson customers, whose experience and insights help users with less experience in a given area run their operations more efficiently and effectively. In 2024, one of those customers sharing his story was Joel Erwin from Vistra. As Vistra expands its renewables portfolio to meet the new energy economy…
  • Cleared for Takeoff: Future-Ready Innovations

    As always, Rick Kephart hit the stage ready to talk about technology, once again focused on Emerson’s Boundless Automation vision—from the field to the cloud. While Rick’s entire roadmap for innovation plans for today, tomorrow, and the distant future, his opening presentation focused on short-term technology innovations; those that are coming in the next few years. A new Ovation Everything that is new and exciting…
  • Cleared for Takeoff: Future-Ready Innovations

    As always, Rick Kephart hit the stage ready to talk about technology, once again focused on Emerson’s Boundless Automation vision—from the field to the cloud. While Rick’s entire roadmap for innovation plans for today, tomorrow, and the distant future, his opening presentation focused on short-term technology innovations; those that are coming in the next few years. A new Ovation Everything that is new and exciting…
  • Soaring to New Heights

    The Ovation Users’ Group is a conference by and for the users themselves, and that hasn’t changed in the 37 years it has been running. Bob Yeager brought that group together by sharing how those users have made Ovation the leading platform for the power industry around the world—automating 20% of the entire world power generating capacity. In fact, Bob explained, “We have a huge install base in the United States. Sitting…
  • Soaring to New Heights

    The Ovation Users’ Group is a conference by and for the users themselves, and that hasn’t changed in the 37 years it has been running. Bob Yeager brought that group together by sharing how those users have made Ovation the leading platform for the power industry around the world—automating 20% of the entire world power generating capacity. In fact, Bob explained, “We have a huge install base in the United States. Sitting…